Comments for Life Encounters

Comment on Christian Leadership by Daniel

Daniel — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:42:24 +0000

I’m not a salesman, I couldn’t make a sale on gospel if I wanted to, I GIVE IT INSTEAD, good point though, I like your thinkin though.

Comment on Relationships, relationships, relationships by Daniel

Daniel — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:18:10 +0000

Hey Brandon,
Thanks for dropping by! I FULLY agree with God being relational and our mission being relational, and am a strong proponent of this. I also agree that there’s good helpful stuff in the article, and I don’t actually think Jon intended the “most of all we need to build relationships” to have quite the emphasis I reacted to

As I’m sure you appreciate, it’s rarely the one thing that sends people over the edge, but everything that leads up to it

I’ve taught on relational discipleship, I’ve preached messages on how we need to be friends of sinners. I think that if you, Jon, and I were to sit and have a drink and a chat we’d agree on what evangelism is and how we must do it. However, I have been increasingly troubled of late, that a lot of what people call evangelism should more accurately be simply called “making friends”. Rarely is that actual gospel preached, and many use “friendship evangelism” as a smokescreen to cover up the fact that we’re more like Peter around the fire than we are like Peter on the day of Pentecost.

And before I set up a pedestal for me to fall off, let me say quite clearly that I also face this battle myself everyday, so I’m preaching to myself as well!

Comment on Relationships, relationships, relationships by Brandon Cox

Brandon Cox — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:24:11 +0000

Dan, I agree that the kind of relationship necessary for sharing the gospel can be built in about a split-second, especially when we are close to someone’s point of pain (as in the drowning man image). But I also see that from the garden of Eden, God has related to people. The mission of God is to reconcile the world into a restored relationship with Himself, and as a byproduct, each other as well. He didn’t choose to send angels to tell the gospel, but our fellow man. Martin Lloyd-Jones defined preaching as “the communication of divine truth through human personality.” So what I see in history is that God is filling the earth with a knowledge of Himself through people.

I re-read Jon’s article and noticed that he doesn’t even talk about relationships until the end. He even cites two other ways of preparing to share before he mentions relationships. I’m cool with your perspective, but not sure why Jon’s article sent you “over the edge.”

Billy Graham wasn’t personal friends with all the people he led to Jesus and I don’t think Jon or I or any other intelligent leader would argue that a personal relationship is required for someone to come to faith. But it was Billy himself who said that more people would be brought to Jesus through one-on-one relationships than in all of the crusades he could ever preach.

God is a highly relational God who sent His highly relational Son to restore people to a relationship with God so that they could share the gospel through relationships. Is it the only way? No, but it’s been the predominant way for a few thousand years.

Comment on Relationships, relationships, relationships by Morgan Davies

Morgan Davies — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:54:50 +0000

Thanks for your blog, Dan. It’s thought provoking and – in my view – true.

I agree that a compelling, Spirit-filled, compassionate, and credible Christ-like witness goes a long way in reaching the unreached, without having had to necessarily foster a lengthy and personal relationship with someone.

Blessings,

Morgan

Comment on Links by Alfredo

Alfredo — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:32:09 +0000

I have just visited your blog and read the piece on “Come as you are with your truth”. I am really interested in deepening some of that information as a sociologist and church planter in Lisbon. Because English is not my first language (Portuguese is), I wondered if I have understood correctly that you were taken notes from some conference when you wrote that piece. If that is the case, or in any other case, where can I go to find more about that specific reading of our times? I did note down the books mentioned and will attempt to buy them. Thanks for your help. I have been edified by your writing. God bless.

Comment on Links by ELENDAVIEME

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Comment on Jesus has no other plans by Simon Bardone

Simon Bardone — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 10:53:43 +0000

sweet blog, Dan!

Comment on London – That Great City by jacob orchill

jacob orchill — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 19:20:11 +0000

perfect christians life style in coast of ghana(west africa) has fallen tremendously due to high influence ofsome ….